June 22nd

Paul Charles Morphy (22-06-1837 - 10-07-1884) American chess champion and composer

Paul Morphy
[Wikipedia]

Paul Morphy is the unique champion who beat almost all European chess masters, returned to the United States and retired from chess. But he is also the composer of this trifle:

Morphy, Paul Charles
New York Clipper, 1856

#2

3 + 4

Show Solution

1.Ra6! ZZ
1...B~ 2.Rxa7#
1...bxa6 2.b7#

János Buglos (22-06-1923) Hungarian composer

János Buglos
[magyarsakkszerzok]

János Buglos composes in many genres, but mainly direct mates.

Buglos, János
The Problemist, 1990
1^st Prize

#2

11 + 11

Show Solution

1.Se5! (2.Qb3#/Qf3#/Qe4#/Qc4#)
1...Rxc5/bxc5 2.Qf3#
1...Bxe5 2.Qb3#
1...Se3 2.Qe4#
1...Sf2/Sc3 2.Qc4#
1...Sxb2/Sa5 2.Qf3#/Qe4#
1...e1Q/e1R 2.Qb3#/Qc4#
1...e1S 2.Qb3#/Qe4#/Qc4#
1...b5 2.Qb3#/Qf3#/Qe4#
1...Sxc5 2.Bxc6#
Karlstrom-Fleck.

Buglos, János
Sakkélet, 1990 (10/5544)
2^nd-3^rd Prize

#3

12 + 7

Show Solution

1.Sc8xa7 ! (2.b5-b6 [3.Rb4-b5#] 2...c4-c3 3.d2-d4#)

1...Bh3-c8 2.Sa7xc8 ZZ 2...Rg2-g1, c4-c3, d5-d4 3.Rd6xd5, d2-d4, e3xd4#
1...Bh3-d7 2.c6xd7 (3.Rd6-c6#) 2...d5-d4 3.e3xd4#
1...c4-c3 2.c6-c7 (3.Rd6-c6/d2-d4#) d5-d4 3.e3xd4#
1...Kc5-b6 2.c6-c7+ Kb6-c5, Kb6-a5 3.Rd6-c6, Rd6-a6#

Ljubomir Anastasov (22-06-1940) Macedonian composer

L. Anastasov
[Thanks to Bosko Miloseski]

Anastasov, Ljubomir
Schach-Echo, 1976
2^nd Prize

h#2

2 solutions

6 + 14

Show Solution

1.Qb2-h8 Rg2-g5 2.Re7-g7 Qh3-g4#
1.Bb3-g8 Qh3xd3 2.Sd6-f7 Rg2-g4#
Critical moves, exchange of functions between wRg2 and wQh3, exchange of functions between half-pinned black units, pin mates.

Leonid Makaronez (22-06-1948) Israeli composer and International Master

(from left to right)
Leonid Lubashevski, Leonid Makaronez, Paz Einat, 2009
[Paz Einat]

Leonid Makaronez is a well-known direct mate composer. He seems to enjoy composing problems in collaboration, with Semion Shifrin, L. Lyubashevsky, Mikhail Marandyuk .

Makaronez, Leonid
The British Chess Magazine 2001-2003
1^st Prize, ex aequo

#4

13 + 11

Show Solution

1.Qb3-c4 ! (2.d4-d5+ Ke4-e5 3.Qc4-d4#)
1...Re6xc6 2.Sf5-d6+ 2...Ke4-e3 3.Qc4-c3 + 3...Sf2-d3+, Rc6xc3 4.Qc3xd3, Sd6-f5#
1...Qe8xc6 2.Rf6xe6+ Ke4xf5 3.Qc4-c5+ Kf5xe6, Qc6-d5, Qc6xc5 4.Sh7xf8, Qc5xd5, Re6-f6#
1...Re6xf6 2.g5xf6 ~ 3.d4-d5+ Ke4-e5 4.Qc4-d4#
Two variations with switchback of white units.

Makaronez, Leonid
Thema Danicum, 2004
Prize

#4

10 + 11

Show Solution

1.Qh8-f6 ! (2.Qf6xf7+ Kd5-e5 3.Qf7-e8+ Ke5xf5 4.Qe8-e4#)
1...Sc2-d4 2.Rb6-d6+ Sb7xd6 3.Qf6-e5+ Kd5xe5 4.Rb5xc5#
1...Ra3-a4 2.Rb5xc5+ Kd5xc5 3.Rb6-b5+ Kc5xb5 4.Qf6-b6#
Double sacrifices in two variations.

Леонид Владимирович Ярош (22-06-1957) Russian composer
(Leonid Vladimirovich Yarosh)

Leonid Yarosh is the author of the first orthodox direct mate Babson task. The 'clean' version (captureless key) can be found below:

Ярош, Леонид Владимирович
Шахматы в СССР 1983
1^st Prize

#4

16 + 8

Show Solution

1. a7!

1... axb1=Q 2. axb8=Q Qxb2 3. Qxb3 Qxa1 4. Rxf4#
1... axb1=R 2. axb8=R Rxb2 3. Rxb3 Kxc4 4. Qa4#
1... axb1=B 2. axb8=B Be4 3. Bxf4 ad lib 4. Be3#
1... axb1=S 2. axb8=S Sxd2 3. Qc1 Se4, Sf1 4. Sc6, Rxf4#

This fourmover is the first Babson Task in which one side does not capture to promote.

Mario Guido Garcia (22-06-1948 - 12-07-2024) Argentinian composer

Mario Guido Garcia
[problemistasajedrez.com.ar]

Mario Guido Garcia composed direct mates and endgame studies. He was also an editor and a well-known resource to check the correction of studies.
More information about him can be found on the ARVES website.

Garcia, Mario Guido Krug,
Peter Siegfried
ChessStar, 2014
Special Prize

#18

4 + 2

Show Solution

1.Sg5!
1...Re8+ 2.Kf7 Rf8+ 3.Kg6 Rf6+ 4.Kh5 Rh6+ 5.Kg4 Rh4+ 6.Kf5 Rf4+ 7.Ke6 Rf8
Rundlauf of the white King to e6 and of the black Rook to f8
8.Sf7+ K:h7 9.Kf6 Kg8 10.Kg6 Ra8 11.Sd6 Kh8 12.Rh7+ Kg8 13.Rg7+ Kf8 14.Rf7+ Kg8 15.Se4 Ra6+ 16.Sf6+ R:f6+ 17.R:f6 Kh8 18.Rf8#
Variation: 15... Kh8 16.Rh7+ Kg8 17.Sf6+ Kf8 18.Rf7#